Steel Magnolias

Steel Magnolias opens and your eyes are immediately drawn to all of the details on the set.  Garish colours, posters of female celebrities from the 80s and five distinct areas where the action can take place.  There are two seats, in the middle where most of the play is centred, but also a manicure area, a reception counter, a couch where clientele can wait and even a sink for hair washing.  Other nice touches include an old-fashioned hair dryer, cans of Cedel hairspray lined up waiting to be used, magazine holders, artificial plants and enough pink to signify that this is indeed a salon exclusively for ladies.  Another nice touch is a large portrait of Dolly Parton hanging on the wall and some Dolly music playing during scene changes - a respectful nod to the 1989 movie where Miss Parton plays Truvy, the effervescent owner of the salon in which the whole play takes place. 

In this production Truvy is played by Annie March, a young woman whose performance belied her youthful appearance.  She stayed in character throughout, had a really good energy in her portrayal and consistently spoke with a southern accent.  She channelled Dolly and yet still managed to make the role her own.  March’s vivaciousness was nicely balanced by the more subdued performance of Amy Lawler as Annelle, the awkward stranger with an unfortunate past.  Lawler’s characterisation blossomed as the production went on, going from nervous to comfortable to heavily pregnant, all with the support of her new friends at the salon.  Lawler was the perfect counterpoint to March who was largely responsible for sustaining the momentum of the evening.

The mother and daughter roles were taken by Anna Kourouvale as M’Lynn and Maviel Andonova as Shelby.  Kourouvale’s M’Lynn was measured and initially almost aloof, meaning that she really had to dig deep for the explosion of feelings and anguish after the unfortunate and sudden demise of her treasured daughter.  All those years of helicopter parenting had taken their toll and the frustration and pain of the mother was palpable.  The scene could only have been improved by tears streaming down the faces of the other ladies in the salon. Andonova is a natural actress who did a lovely job of portraying the optimistic but sadly unwell Shelby.  Her obsession with ‘blush’ and ‘bashful’ pinks was endearing and the audience felt genuinely sorry for her less-than-perfect life, struggles with type 1 diabetes and determination to have a child of her own.

Carole Grace plays Clairee, the former mayor’s cheerful and gossip hungry widow.  Unfortunately, in the performance being reviewed, Grace seemed to lose focus and dropped some dialogue on more than one occasion. She was rescued by her co-stars but these moments definitely stilted the flow of the play.  It was unclear whether this was simply opening weekend nerves or whether Grace has possibly bitten off more than she can chew with this character.  Either way, I’m confident that subsequent performances will see her settle into this role and she will overcome these glitches.

The standout for this reviewer was Michelle Bellamy as the grouchy and sarcastic Ouiser.  She was committed to her character and brought energy into some moments that otherwise may have fallen a little flat.  Like March, she maintained her accent and was strong throughout.  It was hard to not watch her when she was on the stage.

This play was sensitively handled, especially the respectful moment of silence when M’Lynn returns to the salon for the first time after the death of Shelby.  It has been costumed appropriately and Trent Gardiner should be acknowledged for the clever use of the limited space.  All in all it’s a lovely piece of intimate theatre.

Steel Magnolias runs for another two weeks in The Performance Space at St. Aidan’s in Longueville.  There is limited seating due to Covid-safe practices so book now to avoid disappointment.

Fiona Kelly.